Worry
by snobunniex3
Summary: Eliot is late and Maggie is worried and its Nate's fault, really.


Bonus points if you can tell which song i was listening to when i wrote this! A job goes south and Eliot gets hurt, uh oh

* * *

Maggie paced by the telephone, praying for a miracle. Three thirty in the morning and there's not a soul in sight. Eliot should have been home hours ago.

She starts as the thunder rolls and the lightning strikes.

"Don't go," she'd told him earlier, "Not tonight."

She knew he'd say he had too, that the team needed him, and that Nate wouldn't put it off.

But she had to try.

So she's waiting by the window, wearing one his old flannels, praying he's alright.

There was a sudden knock at the door and she jumped.

"What happened?" she questioned as her ex-husband and his team carried her unconscious boyfriend into the house. They were all sopping wet and just looking at them made her cold.

"The job went south. Eliot managed to save the job and all our asses but took a blow to the head on the way out." Nate explained as he and Hardison laid Eliot as gently as possible on the couch.

Maggie stood frozen for a moment, staring at Eliot, before turning on Nate.

"What do you mean 'the job went south.'! He isn't supposed to get hurt, not like this. I told him not to let you do this tonight. Any con involving a boat shouldn't be done in this weather! How could you let him get hurt?" she exploded.

"Come now Maggie, this wasn't all Nate's fault. Yes, we should have waited," Sophie threw a pointed look at Nate, "but Eliot knew what he was doing when he agreed to go along with it."

"I know. I know. I just- I can't-" she took a steadying breath and looked at the others, Parker especially looked like she had jumped into the river.

"Why don't I get you guys some towels and tea. You can take turns in the shower and warm up. You're staying here tonight."

"Maggie we couldn't-" Sophie's refusal was cut short by another boom of thunder.

"You're staying. Parker, why don't you go take a shower first? I'll towels for everyone. And ice for Eliot?" she asked, looking at Nate.

"Ice would be good. And maybe a change of clothes?" Nate offered, not quite sure how they were going to manage actually changing the knocked out hitter.

Maggie nodded and led Parker upstairs to the shower and retrieve the towels and dry clothes.

Sophie moved the kitchen and began preparing hot tea and coco for everyone.

* * *

One by one the leverage team fell asleep until it was only Nate and Maggie left awake.

"He's going to be okay, right?" she asked quietly, half hoping he wouldn't hear her.

"Yeah, he's going to be fine Mags. If Eliot is good at one thing, it's getting up after he's been knocked down."

"I'm not sure if that makes me feel better."

"Yeah."

"I hate seeing him like this."

"I know. It's hard. When he gets hurt he hides it, he'll bunker down and lick his wounds and he doesn't let on how hurt he is. He does everything he can to make sure we don't worry but when he's like this, it comes back. Sometimes we forget he isn't invincible."

"When he wakes up, I'm going to yell at him for making me worry so much."

Nate chuckled.

"No you aren't. I know you both. You're going to hug him and he's going to make a joke and apologize for worrying you. Then you're going to tell him he worried you. Then he'll apologize again."

Maggie looked at her ex-husband and smiled, grateful for his light mood.

* * *

Eliot began stirring just as the sun was coming up, much to everyone's short lived relief.

Short lived because his stirrings were due to a nightmare.

Nate moved closer while gesturing for the others to stay back.

"Eliot? Eliot, its Nate. You need to wake up." He tried to reason.

"Nate, maybe you'd better let me-" Maggie started.

"No, he'd never forgive himself if he hurt you."

"But-"

"Eliot, can you hear me? It's a nightma-" Nate backed away holding his jaw, hoping it wasn't broken.

Before he or anyone else could stop her, Maggie had moved in.

"Eliot. Eliot I need you to wake up, you hear?" she almost whispered, moving to stand just beside him.

She knelt down beside the couch, and slowly reached to brush his hair back.

"Come on honey. It's just a nightmare. Wake up now. Come on."

And to almost everyone's amazement, Eliot slowly opened his eyes. Well, his right eye. The left one was still pretty swollen.

"Hey darlin'." He said, trying to smile. "Sorry I'm late."

Maggie hugged him, trying not to cause him in anymore pain.

"That's alright. As long as you always come back." She whispered.

"Always darlin', always. I promise." He whispered back, then, more audibly, "for the record, its Nate's fault I was late." He said, grinning at his friend to let him know he was (mostly) kidding.

"I already yelled at him." Maggie said, pulling away.

"And I slept through that? I miss all the good stuff." He grinned, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Hey! I'm right here." Nate said, miffed at his role in this conversation.

"Are you okay, Sparky?" Parker checked.

"Yeah, I'm good." 'Sparky' said as he tried sitting up. "No poking though." He said, catching her hand.

Parker grinned sheepishly.

"You had us worried man." Hardison admitted.

"You should go to the hospital later." Nate added, knowing what Eliot would say before he said it.

"No way man. Nothing's broken and I can see just fine so I don't have a concussion. I'm fine. Sore and tired and definitely taking the week off but fine."

"You were really hurt." Maggie added, still sitting as close to him as she could.

Eliot looked at her, really looked, and saw the worry. He brushed her cheek.

"I promise, I'm okay." He considered telling her this wasn't the worst he'd been hurt, telling her she should have seen him after his fight with Tank or after that mission in Spain that he wasn't allowed to talk about, but he decided that probably wouldn't actually make her feel any better.

"I am so sorry I made you worry Maggie." He finally said.

Maggie hugged him again, holding tighter when he returned the hug.

* * *

awww isn't that sweet? doesn't it make you want to review? :)


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